Be A Failure

“Where there is vision, there is life, growth, accomplishment, fulfillment and joy. Keep your vision alive. It is important to see clearly, what you wish to accomplish and hold fast to it. Though it may tarry, it will surely come to pass at the appointed time”. - James McCoy

How’s business? Is it great, challenging, fun; is it as good as can be expected? If it’s GREAT – congratulations! If it’s “CHALLENGING” – challenges are good, keep going! If it’s “FUN” – that’s terrific, it should be fun! If it’s “AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED” – we need to talk! Specifically, we need to talk about what it is you’re expecting. No business strategies this month, just some food for thought.

Have you heard the saying “thought’s become things, choose good ones”? I’m sure you have. Do you believe that? I do! I truly believe that your reality today came about because of thoughts you entertained yesterday. If things are “as good as can be expected”, what have you been thinking, and what are you expecting? If business (or your life) isn’t going according to plan, it’s probably because you don’t have a plan or that somewhere along the road you took your eyes and your thoughts off your plan; off your goals.

Maybe all you need to do is get your head back on straight, take a look at your old business plan again. Maybe you just need to review where you wanted to go. “Off track” isn’t failure. If you understand you’re just off track figure out what you need to do and get back on track. Maybe you need to write a new business plan. Things change. You have to change too. You should look at your business plan as a living document. I recommend a 90 day “working” business plan vs. one you write in order to get funding and then stick it in a drawer somewhere never to see daylight again. Whatever it takes, do it!

If this sounds a little “airy fairy”, oh well! Ask yourself which you like better; where you are now, or where you had planned to be-by-now. If your answer is the latter, go back to the very beginning; go back to when you first had the idea of starting your business.

Do you remember WHY you wanted to have your own business? Do you remember how scary it was? Do you remember how exciting it was? Do you remember all the plans you made? Do you remember the VISION you had for your business; for your life? Take a few minutes; sit back, close your eyes and let the dream take hold again. There is nothing going on right now that you can’t handle. Nothing!

Look at what you’ve accomplished so far. Look at where you are today compared to where you were when you started. How do you feel about that? You should be very proud.

You’re a bit tired, I get that, but the reason you’re tired is because you took you eye (and your thoughts) off the outcome you were after and put it on the work that had to be done to get to the outcome. Work is hard, the outcome is awesome …remember that feeling? Being tired isn’t failure. Suck in your second wind and focus on the result you want, the result you expect.

Being clear about what you expect your life to be like, is crucial to having a successful business and living a successful life. What Yogi Berra said about baseball being 90% mental and the other half physical fits life in general. I would say “success in life is 90% inspiration and the other half is perspiration”.

You smile, but deep down you know it’s true. Whoever said “work smarter not harder” never owned a business. Ya, ya, ya, you should work smart, but its still work. Owning a business takes work. Inspiration is great, but without perspiration it’s just a thought, -- “poof” -- gone!

Don’t give up on your dream, if it’s still worth dreaming about, it’s still worth working for. If it’s a challenge, great! Ask some questions, ask for help, think some new thoughts; write a new plan.

If it’s still your dream, get after it; …whatever it takes! Be a failure at failure.

…on your side.
Sieg